Down the hall, to the right
by windferret
Summary: Atem travels down into the bowels of the palace to find an alluring boy who caught his eye the moment he saw him. Casteshipping. Slight AU. Not cheesy romantic. Chapters depend upon if anyone really wants them. POV changes around each chapter. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, this fic is purely a product of boredom. I left my cell phone at school over the weekend and I had a salon appointment. So, I dragged along a notebook and just started writing. **

**I haven't discontinued my other story, I'm sorta just on a creative low :/ **

**I've been extremely busy. I have a Concert for Band coming up, and I also unexpectedly got cast in a play which I never intended to do. I really do apologize for very slow updates on anything :( **

**And I dunno if I'd continue this story unless someone really wanted me to, so it's lifespan depends upon you guys. Also, (I'm sorry this is so long. Feel free to tl;dr)**

**If my writing voice sounds a little weirder than normal, it's because I suck at just winging a whole entire story :I Moreover, this fic changes POV A LOT, but I'll always indicate which one it's in. It's sort of AU, might I add. And my excessive use of the phrase 'The boy' is intentional, and the lack of physical description of this 'boy' is also intentional. **

**Chapter one (Third Person Limited) **

Two foolhardy guards got lucky one afternoon. They'd captured a high bounty bandit as he walked along the outskirts of the city, looking peculiarly weak. He was a thin boy, and only clothed in a navy blue kilt. Nevertheless, he was bound and taken.

"Heh, we'll get paid big for this kid. He just _looks _like a pest." Said the first guard as he situated himself atop a beefy horse.

"You're interested in money? I'm more interested in how many women we'll be given as reward!" The second guard gruffly. Digging his heels into the horse's sides, they began at a relatively slow pace, the boy trailing behind by foot. Both of his wrists were clasped together by iron cuffs attached to a chain held by the first guard. The two men tugged him through the desert and towards the city, comfortably seated on horseback. As they reached their halfway point, the chain imprisoning their captive went slack, and it was noticed that he had indeed fainted. With a few prods and a few less than kind words, he was up on his feet again, but walking at an even slower pace.

"Can't we just return with his head? This is taking forever! " The second guard huffed, yanking at the boy's chain and making him stumble a bit.

"No," said the first guard sternly. "If we wish to be fully rewarded, we must bring the boy alive. What fun is it for a cat to play with a dead mouse?"

They continued the trek towards the palace, stopping once more when the bandit collapsed again and walked slower still. When they finally reached the palace doors, the first guard pushed the doors open and was surprised to see the High Priest Seth sitting on the throne. With a shake of his head, the guard spoke.

"Your Highness, we have committed a good act! Behold this disgusting vile boy, a pest to the kingdom! Shall we have him executed for acting against the pharaoh?" The second guard, after an encouraging nod from the first, shoved the boy onto the tiled floor of the palace. He didn't bother to look up, for he was too weak.

Seth stood slowly, glaring down at the thin young man.

"Rise, filth!" He commanded, his booming voice reverberating about the huge room. The boy lifted his head slightly, his eyes hidden by his hair.

"Look em in the eyes and tell me the reason for your crime!" The hig ranking noble continued, his expression becoming more prideful when the boy glanced at him momentarily.

"Leave me be," He said softly, lowering himself back onto the floor and finishing in a barley audible voice, "There are dangerous forces at work."

"Is that a threat? Have him executed immediately—Pharaoh?" Seth said, noticing Atem walk straight over to the boy.

"No your Majesty!"

"It's dangerous!"

"Protect the king!"

Came a chorus of voices, some men lunging out to retrieve the young pharaoh.

"Please," He began. "Do you see this man... this boy? He is barely living. Surely he is no threat to any of us."

"But your majesty, he is a nuisance. A bother to the kingdom! Surely we must dispose of him!" Seth said incredulously to his cousin.

"Do not talk back to your king," Atem said dangerously before his voice went back to it's usual relative calm. "I will see to it that he is done away with. Guards, take him to the holding cells. Please make haste, I must have a word with our priest."

"But, your majesty, shall we not just kill him right here—"

"Now."

As they stated down the stairs, Atem turned to Seth with an exasperated expression.

"Seth, my dear cousin, this is the second, no, third time you've began a trial without my consent! Luckily I walked into this one, or surely—"

"Or surely what? The mongrel would have been beheaded? I'm doing my people my favor by erasing such rubbish from this earth!" Seth answered curtly, glaring at Atem with cold eyes.

"But Seth, your behavior has become_ ridiculous!_ Just last month you killed a woman for unintentionally spilling a splash of her drink on your clothes."

"My garments were ruined by that useless tavern whore!"

"Seth _please, _it was an accident!" Atem groaned. "Any ways, all I'm asking is that you refrain from castigating people—"

" So we can let crooks and nuisances be free among my people? I would think you of all people would agree with what I'm saying—" Seth began loudly.

"No. So that I can protect _my _people under _my _kingdom from unjust punishment." Atem said darkly, putting careful emphasis on his words. " I am the _Pharaoh _after all, Seth."

The high priest sneered at his younger cousin before striding off towards his personal quarters.

"I hope you've made the right decision in keeping that boy alive, _your highness._" He hissed before stalking off.

**Like I said, this isn't going to be a particularly long story unless someone wants it to be. But this was a pilot chapter, the lack of description and huge amount of dialogue is intentional. It was as painful to type as it was to read, trust me. And I say it's AU because I'm gonna do this whole plot twist thing, and it'll turn everything canon from there on out. **

**But if it was hard to decipher, this story takes place in Ancient Egypt. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys. This chapter will be in First person POV of Atem. THIS chapter has a lot more description than the first because again, I really had no intention of posting it but since it was taking up space in my notebook I decided it should take up space on my account too. So if you think the story sucks, blame it on the fact that I hadn't intended on doing much with it anyway. **

**ANYWAYS. **

**Chapter 2 *(or the final chapter depending on what you guys want) **

I watched as Seth was enveloped in the darkness of the halls. He as becoming callous lately, and it was obvious to everyone within the palace walls. Usually I try to level with him, but at times like these, when an innocent life was about to be lost, I could not remain silent. But, maybe I really _was_ wrong. Maybe I was wrong not to have that bandit killed. But the pitiful way in which he looked as the guards took him down the stairs…

I decided to clear the image from my mind and retreat to my, bedroom. As I walked down the hall, I smiled softly as the familiar smell of lavender and scribe's ink filled my nostrils. The smell of incense also lingered in the air, and all of the scents mixed into one and formed a comfortable blanket of perfumes that soaked into my clothing and helped soothe my nerves. But as I slipped into my silken sleeping garments and climbed into bed, I found that it was ineffective. My mind was running around in circles, all around the same person.

"This will be the end of me…" I groaned, pulling my sheets from my body and letting my feet dangle off the side of the bed. I was conflicted; Stay in bed, or see that boy. If I simply flopped back onto my pillow, I would be tormented by the need to satiate my desire to see him over and over again, and when he was to be executed, my heart would feel immense sorrow into the afterlife.

I cringed inwardly as my warm feet landed on the cool tiles. I would rather go through the agony of heartbreak than the gnawing annoyance of regret. I took a deep breath, placed my hands on the door, and pushed. A sentry paced the corridor near my room and as he turned the corner, I charged from my doorway and peeled down the hall, jumping behind a column and holding my breath. My heart was beating so hard, I thought it would give me away. Is this the excitement a thief feels? This thought only made my interest in the boy stronger. Making sure to keep myself encased in the shadows and pressed against the cold walls, I slinked down the first set of stairs descending into the substructure of the palace. One down, two to go. The holding cells were forbidden for the king to enter, but for what reason I am unsure of. Continuing towards the second staircase, I stopped briefly. What am I doing? I backed away from the ledge a few steps. I should juts go back to bed and forget about this. Maybe Seth was right; I should've let him die. He, the boy, is of no importance to me or anyone else for that matter. At least, that's the attitude I need to portray when I finally meet him. There must be a reason he chose this lifestyle, the life of an outcast. And, why did he look so strange? Maybe it was the lighting of the palaces main room, or my eyes playing tricks on me, but it seemed as if he had _white _hair. How could one be so young with hair the color of the moon? These questions kept me moving, and soon enough I was at the bottom of the last staircase. Down the hall and to my right would be my desired endpoint; the holding cells.

I drew in one quivering breath and found myself in front of a great, heavy and ornery door, a painful contrast to the grandeur of the rest of the palace. Maybe, back in my father's time, the door used to be magnificent, and maybe the boy used to be a normal villager.

I gave the door a shove and it creaked loudly, making my heart nearly jump out of my throat. Ironically, it seemed as if no one even heard my entrance. Where were the guards? It wasn't heavily protected at all. I'd have to bring that up at our next meeting…

I noticed that there was barely any light in the room and it was only lit by the sparse torches that burned on the walls. It really was an intimidating place, what with the groaning of prisoners and the low light levels. I was tempted to turn on my heel and march straight back out, but I knew I'd come right back when I realized that I didn't have the courage to face a challenge. A pharaoh has to be brave, naturally. I tiptoed slowly past the dark cells, making sure to cover my face with the collars of my sleeping shirt. I didn't want the prisoners to go ape wild and try to take me down for condemning them to this hole in the ground. There was no need to worry about guards down the line either, since they were all fast asleep with bottles of rum in their hands. I need better workers. I halted for a moment to take in my surroundings. The smell was nothing like the warm and comforting scent that wafted about the rooms aboveground. The air was stale and thick with the stench of mold, and on this particular night, tinged with liquor. It was cold and there seemed to be no indication of blankets lying about, or even straw to rest a beaten body on. I peered into an empty cell and observed its interior. A single wooden bench was placed a few feet off of the ground, and there were tiny barred windows in every other cell that allowed fresh night air to ventilate throughout the prison. The people who got those must be lucky. Other than that, it was completely empty. Shadows flickered off the walls and only made my anxiety worse. The foul air, the small, closed in spaces, and just the bleakness of it all put me on edge. Now I understood why I wasn't to be down here. As I continued my trek, I realized there was a fork in the hall. Oh, no.

I'd have to figure out a way to remember which way I took in order to get out of this labyrinth. How did these foolish guards even navigate it? On the left was a brightly lit hall, suggesting this is where most of the prisoners were taken. On the right, it was a different story. The temperature felt as if it was colder than where I was even standing and there were barely any flames lit. The darkness seemed thick and menacing, but I attributed this and the freezing temperatures to the lack of torches. It was the only way I could force myself down in that direction. Taking a step towards the entrance, I stepped in a puddle of something. It couldn't be water, it felt thick under my feet. I couldn't see the color for I was inside of the hall already, but I took a step back out into the light and my body temperature dropped to nearly that of the black corridor I was walking into. It was blood. Yeah, I think I'll remember which way I came. Just feel for puddles on the floor and you'll know you're headed in the right direction. Sliding my fot repetitively on the the ground to wipe the bodily remains of some unfortunate prisoner, I continued on. By now, my heart was beating as fast as a humming bids and the pace of my walking increased to almost a trot. Something skittered over my foot.

"What in heaven's name…!" I whimpered, breaking into a full on sprint in no particular direction. I needed to get out, to get away. Breathing was starting to become difficult, and a sudden and crippling fear traveled up and down my spine. I have no idea of the direction I went, and it was dark with no characteristic landmarks to help me find my way. I decided to take a knee and reached out in front of myself. Cage bars. I clutched my clammy hands around the cool metal and breathed heavily. If a guard heard me, I'd be chastised a bit but I'd be escorted out safely. With that in mind, I began shouting and rapping the bars of the cell fervently, hoping it would alert one of the drunken workers. I stopped to listen for footsteps. Nothing but silence, fear, and darkness answered back.

"Oh, gods…Why did I even come down here!" I sobbed. Normally I wouldn't be crying, but at this very moment I was terrified. I had already traveled far into the dungeon, but when _whatever_ ran across my foot I lost every ounce of reason I had left.

"What are you doing here?" Came a musical and slightly feminine voice. Despite this, I screamed loudly, jumping away from the bars of the cell.

"I…I don't know!"

"Then you should stop making such a fuss and leave." The voice was hard now, clearly establishing that whoever it belonged to was serious. "This is no place for a palace brat like you."

"How do you know I live in the palace? You can't even see me!" I defended, making a face even though I was sure no one was around to see it.

"_I _ don't see you."

"What do you mean by that?"

He was silent. Now I was officially bothered by this person. I didn't like the mysterious feel he had about him, but his voice enchanted me. I must continue talking to him.

"So you're a prisoner down here, right?"

"Obviously."

Maybe that wasn't the best question to ask. Still, it incited a response.

"Why are you down here? What have you done to upset the ph—I mean, what have you done to be imprisoned?" I said, catching myself. I didn't want him to become suspicious too fast, after all.

"I did nothing. I was merely ambling along the outskirts of the city walls when I was taken by a pair of meat headed guards. Nevertheless, I'm the palaces problem now, and The pharaoh…heh." He chuckled. His laughed sounded bell like and youthful, and I felt my face warm slightly. Who was this? In the pit of my stomach I felt that it was my prize I had been looking for. The boy. The bandit. The reason for all of this mess. For some reason, this realization angered me. Here I am, down in this horribly dark pit of darkness at the bottom of the palace, maybe even lower, and this lowly person is being snide with me?

"Do you know who you're talking to? You need to show a little bit of respect." I said, turning my nose p and glaring in the general direction of the boy's voice.

"Don't turn your head up too far, your majesty, your highness." He growled, and I felt as if the room grew even blacker at that very moment. The air became cold and a twinge of alarm traveled through my body.

"How did you—"

"_I _ don't know."

"Stop that! Do not talk back to your king!" I shouted, walking up to the bars and grabbing them. What happened next was so profoundly unexpected, I thought it didn't even happen. But it was hard to ignore the warmth of another persons breath inches from your face. No contact, I couldn't even see him. I couldn't move, either. The time in which he moved to my We breathed in synchronicity, not saying a word. It was the most terrifying moment of my life. Even though he couldn't physically touch me, I felt small wisps of chilled air dance around my throat as if his intent to end my life was manifested. Or maybe it was something more than that.

"_My_ _apologies your highness._" Came a demonic voice, deep and foreboding. It didn't belong to the boy at all. A human wasn't speaking to me. I winced as a stinging sensation flittered across my neck and disappeared almost instantly.

"Please," Came the boy's voice again, normal this time. He almost sounded as if he was pleading. "You've angered him. You need to go, and don't come back. Preserve yourself for as long as you can. They're planning something—"

"Pharaoh!" Came Seth's faraway voice. They had come to rescue me! I ripped my hands away from the metal bars encasing the boy and began to run towards the sounds.

"I'm here! Down here!" I yelled, my shouts beginning to turn into sobs of relief. As the footsteps grew closer, A light was visible from the mouth of the hall and it was growing brighter the nearer they came. I decided to glance back, and stopped in my tracks. It really was him, but he was even more beautiful than in the palace. His hair was stark white and is eyes, his _eyes. _

"What is your name!" I shouted, the light now right behind me.

"Akefia."

Seth grabbed my arm roughly.

**PLEASE KINDLY READ ALL OF THIS!**

**It was way way WAY too hard to write this. I'm really proud of it though, to say the least. I never write in 1st person for this exact reason! It's so hard! But I'm genuinely and pleasantly surprised to see how much you liked it :) I wasn't expecting that at all! To my reviewers, I really really and truly appreciate you taking the time out of your day to review. If anyone knows about being busy, it's myself! I know how hard it can be to get even a little time to do recreational things, and the fact that you chose to read AND review makes me giddy :)**

**Um, in the big picture of this chapter though, I focused more on describing Atem's surroundings rather than the actual shipping, which to be honest I'm not even fully comfortable with myself (To my reviewer who doesn't much like casteshipping; I know how you feel).**

**Thank you! **


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